Turkey on Monday began a day of mourning for 305 people killed in the Sinai mosque massacre despite strained ties with Egypt.

The Turkish prime minister&#39;s office also condemned the &quot;heinous terror attack&quot; at the North Sinai Rawda mosque which no group has yet claimed.

Flags are being flown at half-mast in government buildings inside and outside Turkey until sunset.

Ties between Turkey and Egypt have been tense since the Egyptian military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.&nbsp;

Erdogan denounced the move and called Morsi&#39;s ouster a &quot;coup&quot;.

Morsi&#39;s Muslim Brotherhood is outlawed in Egypt but members of the group have sought refuge in Turkey.

Last week, Egypt&#39;s public prosecutor ordered 29 people to be detained for 15 days pending a probe into claims they spied for Turkey and joined a &quot;terrorist&quot; group.

Turkish officials were quick to offer condolences and support following the assault, including Erdogan who put the blame on Islamic State for the &quot;treacherous attack&quot;.

&quot;Daesh (Islamic State) terror is inhuman, it has once again shown its un-Islamic face. Turkey stands with its Egyptian brothers and sisters,&quot; Erdogan said on Saturday.

It is not known why the mosque was targeted but it is assumed in Egypt that it happened because Sufi Muslims worshipped at the mosque.

Up to 30 militants in camouflage flying the black banner of the Islamic State extremist group surrounded the mosque and killed worshippers during weekly Friday prayers, Egyptian authorities said.

Flags are being flown at half-mast in government buildings inside and outside Turkey until sunset

Turkey on Monday began a day of mourning for 305 people killed in the Sinai mosque massacre despite strained ties with Egypt. The Turkish prime minister's office also condemned the "heinous terror attack" at the North Sinai Rawda mosque which no group has yet claimed. Flags are being flown at half-mast in government buildings inside and outside Turkey until sunset. Ties between Turkey and Egypt have been tense since the Egyptian military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan denounced the move and called Morsi's ouster a "coup". Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood is outlawed in Egypt but members of the group have sought refuge in Turkey. Last week, Egypt's public prosecutor ordered 29 people to be detained for 15 days pending a probe into claims they spied for Turkey and joined a "terrorist" group. Turkish officials were quick to offer condolences and support following the assault, including Erdogan who put the blame on Islamic State for the "treacherous attack". "Daesh (Islamic State) terror is inhuman, it has once again shown its un-Islamic face. Turkey stands with its Egyptian brothers and sisters," Erdogan said on Saturday. It is not known why the mosque was targeted but it is assumed in Egypt that it happened because Sufi Muslims worshipped at the mosque. Up to 30 militants in camouflage flying the black banner of the Islamic State extremist group surrounded the mosque and killed worshippers during weekly Friday prayers, Egyptian authorities said.

Turkey mourns Egypt mosque attack victims

The death toll from the deadliest earthquake in Iran and Iraq has risen to more than 450, leaving more than 7000 people injured, according to media reports.&nbsp;

Several homeless victims of the powerful earthquake were gathered on a cold night on Monday, state TV said.&nbsp;

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Search operations are being carried out for dozens of people still trapped under rubbles of collapsed houses in towns and villages in the mountainous area of the western province of Kermanshah that borders Iraq.

The earthquake which happened on Sunday was felt as far&nbsp;away as Turkey and Pakistan, according to reports.&nbsp;

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The epicenter was near Ezgeleh, Iran, about 135 miles northeast of Baghdad, and had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3. Seismologists in the country said it was the biggest quake to hit the western part of Iran, reports said.&nbsp;

At least eight people were killed on the Iraqi side of the border, according to Dr. Saif al-Badir, a spokesman for the Health Ministry, and at least 535 were hurt.

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Relief workers informed that proper aid was provided timely, however, there was a major shortage of blankets, children&#39;s clothes, medicine and large cans to store drinking water.&nbsp;

A local official said aftershocks hindered the process of setting up camps and tents for the homeless victims, but electricity had been restored in most of the quake-stricken areas.

&quot;The main problem is sheltering people in this cold weather. We need more tents,&quot; Qasr-e Shririn governor Faramarz Akbari told TV.

The epicenter was near Ezgeleh, Iran, about 135 miles northeast of Baghdad, and had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3. Seismologists in the country said it was the biggest quake to hit the western part of Iran

The death toll from the deadliest earthquake in Iran and Iraq has risen to more than 450, leaving more than 7000 people injured, according to media reports. Several homeless victims of the powerful earthquake were gathered on a cold night on Monday, state TV said. Representative Photo (Reuters) × Search operations are being carried out for dozens of people still trapped under rubbles of collapsed houses in towns and villages in the mountainous area of the western province of Kermanshah that borders Iraq. The earthquake which happened on Sunday was felt as far away as Turkey and Pakistan, according to reports. Representative Photo (Reuters) × The epicenter was near Ezgeleh, Iran, about 135 miles northeast of Baghdad, and had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3. Seismologists in the country said it was the biggest quake to hit the western part of Iran, reports said. At least eight people were killed on the Iraqi side of the border, according to Dr. Saif al-Badir, a spokesman for the Health Ministry, and at least 535 were hurt. Representative Photo (Reuters) × Relief workers informed that proper aid was provided timely, however, there was a major shortage of blankets, children's clothes, medicine and large cans to store drinking water. A local official said aftershocks hindered the process of setting up camps and tents for the homeless victims, but electricity had been restored in most of the quake-stricken areas. "The main problem is sheltering people in this cold weather. We need more tents," Qasr-e Shririn governor Faramarz Akbari told TV.

Iran-Iraq earthquake: Death toll crosses 450, search operation on

Victims of the Nice truck attack included three generations of a family out for a stroll, a Frenchman protecting his pregnant wife and a former Soviet soldier. 
 
The Bastille Day assault killed 84 people of all ages -- including 10 children -- who had been out enjoying a fireworks display on a warm summer evening. The dead came from at least 12 countries. 
 
More than 300 people were also injured when the Tunisian driver slammed his truck into the crowd on the seaside promenade on Thursday.&nbsp; 
 
Here are some of the victims&#39; stories. 
 
Four-year-old Yanis C, described by his father Michael in local media as &quot;a rascal, a scallywag, always smiling&quot;, was playing with other children a few feet from his parents when he was hit.&nbsp; 
 
Mehdi H was the 12-year-old son of a Nice football referee who also lost his sister-in-law in the attack. His twin sister is in a coma. 
 
Another 12-year-old, Amie V, was the daughter of a magazine journalist based in Nice. 
 
One 14-year-old boy who is in a critical condition will wake up to the death of his mother, Christine Fabry, 67, and her partner Hugues Mismarck. His sister is injured and 17-year-old brother is missing. 
 
Christophe Lyon, the former head of a rugby club, lost his wife, parents, parents-in-law and his wife`s son in the attack. 
 
They were grandparents Francois, 82, and Christiane Locatelli, 78, their daughter Veronique Lyon, 55, and grandson Michael Pellegrini, 28. His parents were Gisele and Germain Lyon. 
 
Laurence Tavet, 49, who was married to an Algerian, was killed with two of her grandchildren. One of them, seven-year-old Yanis, had come to visit her on his holidays, the Algerian foreign ministry said. 
 
Tunisian national Olfa Bent Souayah Khalfallah, 31, was with her four-year-old son on a family holiday from their home in Lyon, France. 
 
Her devastated husband searched for their son for more than two days before discovering that the little boy had also been killed. 
 
Timothe Fournier, a 27-year-old Parisian, died after pushing his seven-months-pregnant wife out of the truck`s deadly path, his cousin Anais told AFP. 
 
&quot;He was a great guy,&quot; she said. &quot;A young dreamer, but someone who was always there for his family.&quot; 
 
A Texas-based newspaper identified the two Americans killed as baseball coach Sean Copeland, 51, and his 11-year-old son Brodie, who were on a family vacation in Europe. 
 
&quot;They are so loved,&quot; the Austin American-Statesman quoted the family as saying in a statement. 
 
Sisters Magdalena, 21, and Marzena Chrzanowska, 20, were on holiday with their two other sisters when they were killed, the priest in their hometown of Krzyszkowice, Poland, told AFP. 
 
Slain Russian tourist Victoria Savchenko, a 20-year-old student, was also holidaying in the French Riviera resort. 
 
Fatima Charrihi, 60, a Nice resident and mother of seven, was among the first to be killed by the driver, her son Hamza told local media. 
 
He described her as &quot;an extraordinary mum&quot; and a devout Muslim who practised &quot;real Islam, not that of the terrorists&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Madagascan mother Mino Razafitrimo, 31, was with her two children aged four and six, who survived. She was a &quot;joyous person very involved with the Malagasy community in Nice&quot;, a friend told AFP. 
 
A teacher and two of her students from Berlin`s Paula-Fuerst School were killed, the Berlin mayor&#39;s office said. 
 
American student Nicolas Leslie was also killed, the University of California, Berkeley said. The 20-year-old had been in the French city as part of Berkeley`s study abroad programme. 
 
Men and women of all professions were among the dead. 
 
Former Soviet soldier Igor Sheleshko, 47, was a father-of-four who held both Russian and Belgian nationality. 
 
He had been living in Nice for four months, said Andrey Eliseev, arch-priest of the Saint-Nicolas cathedral who described him as &quot;a pious man&quot;. 
 
The priest named another victim as Roman Ekmaliyan, a Georgian businessman of Armenian origin who had lived in Belgium. The 56-year-old was &quot;very intelligent on all topics -- interested in history, politics&quot;. 
 
Robert Marchand, 60, was an athletics trainer from Marcigny, a small town in central France. He had raised the town`s club &quot;to a very high level&quot;, mayor Louis Poncet told AFP.&nbsp; 
 
Also killed was border police commissioner Emmanuel Grout, 45, who was off duty, local media said. 
 
And David Bonnet, a 44-year-old fish farmer, was out with his new partner, who was injured in the attack. 
 
(AFP)

Several still in critical condition. Attack killed 84 people of all ages, including three generations of a family

Victims of the Nice truck attack included three generations of a family out for a stroll, a Frenchman protecting his pregnant wife and a former Soviet soldier. The Bastille Day assault killed 84 people of all ages -- including 10 children -- who had been out enjoying a fireworks display on a warm summer evening. The dead came from at least 12 countries. More than 300 people were also injured when the Tunisian driver slammed his truck into the crowd on the seaside promenade on Thursday. Here are some of the victims' stories. Four-year-old Yanis C, described by his father Michael in local media as "a rascal, a scallywag, always smiling", was playing with other children a few feet from his parents when he was hit. Mehdi H was the 12-year-old son of a Nice football referee who also lost his sister-in-law in the attack. His twin sister is in a coma. Another 12-year-old, Amie V, was the daughter of a magazine journalist based in Nice. One 14-year-old boy who is in a critical condition will wake up to the death of his mother, Christine Fabry, 67, and her partner Hugues Mismarck. His sister is injured and 17-year-old brother is missing. Christophe Lyon, the former head of a rugby club, lost his wife, parents, parents-in-law and his wife`s son in the attack. They were grandparents Francois, 82, and Christiane Locatelli, 78, their daughter Veronique Lyon, 55, and grandson Michael Pellegrini, 28. His parents were Gisele and Germain Lyon. Laurence Tavet, 49, who was married to an Algerian, was killed with two of her grandchildren. One of them, seven-year-old Yanis, had come to visit her on his holidays, the Algerian foreign ministry said. Tunisian national Olfa Bent Souayah Khalfallah, 31, was with her four-year-old son on a family holiday from their home in Lyon, France. Her devastated husband searched for their son for more than two days before discovering that the little boy had also been killed. Timothe Fournier, a 27-year-old Parisian, died after pushing his seven-months-pregnant wife out of the truck`s deadly path, his cousin Anais told AFP. "He was a great guy," she said. "A young dreamer, but someone who was always there for his family." A Texas-based newspaper identified the two Americans killed as baseball coach Sean Copeland, 51, and his 11-year-old son Brodie, who were on a family vacation in Europe. "They are so loved," the Austin American-Statesman quoted the family as saying in a statement. Sisters Magdalena, 21, and Marzena Chrzanowska, 20, were on holiday with their two other sisters when they were killed, the priest in their hometown of Krzyszkowice, Poland, told AFP. Slain Russian tourist Victoria Savchenko, a 20-year-old student, was also holidaying in the French Riviera resort. Fatima Charrihi, 60, a Nice resident and mother of seven, was among the first to be killed by the driver, her son Hamza told local media. He described her as "an extraordinary mum" and a devout Muslim who practised "real Islam, not that of the terrorists". Madagascan mother Mino Razafitrimo, 31, was with her two children aged four and six, who survived. She was a "joyous person very involved with the Malagasy community in Nice", a friend told AFP. A teacher and two of her students from Berlin`s Paula-Fuerst School were killed, the Berlin mayor's office said. American student Nicolas Leslie was also killed, the University of California, Berkeley said. The 20-year-old had been in the French city as part of Berkeley`s study abroad programme. Men and women of all professions were among the dead. Former Soviet soldier Igor Sheleshko, 47, was a father-of-four who held both Russian and Belgian nationality. He had been living in Nice for four months, said Andrey Eliseev, arch-priest of the Saint-Nicolas cathedral who described him as "a pious man". The priest named another victim as Roman Ekmaliyan, a Georgian businessman of Armenian origin who had lived in Belgium. The 56-year-old was "very intelligent on all topics -- interested in history, politics". Robert Marchand, 60, was an athletics trainer from Marcigny, a small town in central France. He had raised the town`s club "to a very high level", mayor Louis Poncet told AFP. Also killed was border police commissioner Emmanuel Grout, 45, who was off duty, local media said. And David Bonnet, a 44-year-old fish farmer, was out with his new partner, who was injured in the attack. (AFP)

Survivors agony: Families mourn Nice deaths

Nepal is selling thousands of tonnes of rice donated by China and Bangladesh to help earthquake victims, an official said, despite aid agencies warning that survivors remain at risk of food shortages. 
 
Nearly 9,000 lost their lives when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake ripped through the Himalayan nation in April 2015, destroying more than half a million homes and leaving thousands without food or shelter. 
 
Initial estimates by the World Food Programme (WFP) said that about 1.4 million were in urgent need of emergency food supplies, prompting governments to spring into action to help the desperately poor country. 
 
According to the state-run Nepal Food Corporation (NFC), Dhaka and Beijing donated about 11,200 metric tonnes of rice, only 20 per cent of which was distributed by the government to quake victims. 
 
&quot;The remaining rice has been sitting in our godown (warehouse) for 10 months and now that Bangladesh has donated even more rice to us, we don&#39;t have enough space to store it all,&quot; said Pawan Kumar Karki, NFC spokesman. 
 
&quot;So we started selling the rice last month and will deposit the proceeds in a fund operated by the government,&quot; Karki said. 
 
No further details about the fund were available. 
 
Kathmandu stopped distributing rice across quake-hit districts last June, just weeks after the disaster, according to Karki. 
 
Yet more than a year later, disaster victims continue to be at risk of food shortages, aid officials said. 
 
&quot;We were distributing rice, lentils and other supplies right until February. While there have been improvements, there are still pockets of food insecurity among households headed by single mothers or belonging to marginalised communities,&quot; said a WFP spokeswoman. 
 
The NFC&#39;s Karki said that authorities also plan to dispatch 3,400 metric tonnes of donated rice to the remote Karnali region following last year&#39;s poor monsoons and a prolonged winter drought, but no supplies had been sent yet. 
 
With an estimated four million people still living in temporary shelters, Nepal has asked for $8.4 billion in aid to help rebuild the country. 
 
But delays in formulating a reconstruction plan mean Kathmandu has received just $1.6 billion so far, about 40 per cent of the $4.1 billion pledged by international donors. 
 
Stung by criticism, the government has vowed to kickstart the rebuilding of schools and hospitals and speed up the distribution of a $2,000 payout to homeless households. 
 
So far, some 24,000 families have received the first $500 instalment of the promised payout, fewer than five per cent of those left homeless by the disaster. 
 
(AFP)

A year after earthquake, victims continue to be at risk of food shortages as governement runs out of space to store donated grains

Nepal is selling thousands of tonnes of rice donated by China and Bangladesh to help earthquake victims, an official said, despite aid agencies warning that survivors remain at risk of food shortages. Nearly 9,000 lost their lives when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake ripped through the Himalayan nation in April 2015, destroying more than half a million homes and leaving thousands without food or shelter. Initial estimates by the World Food Programme (WFP) said that about 1.4 million were in urgent need of emergency food supplies, prompting governments to spring into action to help the desperately poor country. According to the state-run Nepal Food Corporation (NFC), Dhaka and Beijing donated about 11,200 metric tonnes of rice, only 20 per cent of which was distributed by the government to quake victims. "The remaining rice has been sitting in our godown (warehouse) for 10 months and now that Bangladesh has donated even more rice to us, we don't have enough space to store it all," said Pawan Kumar Karki, NFC spokesman. "So we started selling the rice last month and will deposit the proceeds in a fund operated by the government," Karki said. No further details about the fund were available. Kathmandu stopped distributing rice across quake-hit districts last June, just weeks after the disaster, according to Karki. Yet more than a year later, disaster victims continue to be at risk of food shortages, aid officials said. "We were distributing rice, lentils and other supplies right until February. While there have been improvements, there are still pockets of food insecurity among households headed by single mothers or belonging to marginalised communities," said a WFP spokeswoman. The NFC's Karki said that authorities also plan to dispatch 3,400 metric tonnes of donated rice to the remote Karnali region following last year's poor monsoons and a prolonged winter drought, but no supplies had been sent yet. With an estimated four million people still living in temporary shelters, Nepal has asked for $8.4 billion in aid to help rebuild the country. But delays in formulating a reconstruction plan mean Kathmandu has received just $1.6 billion so far, about 40 per cent of the $4.1 billion pledged by international donors. Stung by criticism, the government has vowed to kickstart the rebuilding of schools and hospitals and speed up the distribution of a $2,000 payout to homeless households. So far, some 24,000 families have received the first $500 instalment of the promised payout, fewer than five per cent of those left homeless by the disaster. (AFP)

Nepal selling rice donated by Beijing, Dhaka for quake victims

At least 213 were killed in Sunday&#39;s Baghdad suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State terror outfit, officials said, making it one of the deadliest ever militant attacks in Iraq. 
 
The suicide car bombing, which ripped through a crowded shopping area and sparked fires in nearby buildings, also wounded more than 200, security and medical officials told AFP on Monday. 
 
The area in the capital&#39;s Karrada district was crowded with shoppers ahead of the holiday marking the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramzan. 
 
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi vowed &quot;punishment&quot; for those responsible, and his office declared three days of mourning for the victims of the attack. 
 
According to Reuters news agency, police and medical sources said on Monday that the death toll from the double bomb attack has risen to 147 and another 35 are missing. 
 
Numbers rose as bodies were recovered from the rubble and people succumbed to their injuries, the officials added. 
 
(Agencies)

Iraq declared three days of mourning for the victims

At least 213 were killed in Sunday's Baghdad suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State terror outfit, officials said, making it one of the deadliest ever militant attacks in Iraq. The suicide car bombing, which ripped through a crowded shopping area and sparked fires in nearby buildings, also wounded more than 200, security and medical officials told AFP on Monday. The area in the capital's Karrada district was crowded with shoppers ahead of the holiday marking the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramzan. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi vowed "punishment" for those responsible, and his office declared three days of mourning for the victims of the attack. According to Reuters news agency, police and medical sources said on Monday that the death toll from the double bomb attack has risen to 147 and another 35 are missing. Numbers rose as bodies were recovered from the rubble and people succumbed to their injuries, the officials added. (Agencies)

Death toll touches 200 in IS-claimed Baghdad blasts: officials

An Indian teenager was among 20 foreigners who were killed after being taken hostage by a group of attackers at an upmarket cafe in Bangladesh capital Dhaka, a government minister said Saturday. 
 
Tarushi Jain, 19, was caught up in the horrific 11-hour siege at the Holey Artisan Bakery, a Western-style cafe popular with foreigners located in the diplomatic quarter of the capital. 
 
&quot;I am extremely pained to share that the terrorists have killed Tarushi, an Indian girl who was taken hostage in the terror attack in Dhaka,&quot; India&#39;s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj posted on Twitter. 
 
Swaraj said she had spoken to the girl&#39;s grief-stricken father and conveyed her condolences to him. 
 
&quot;The country is with them in this hour of grief,&quot; she tweeted. 
 
Jain had finished her schooling from the American School in Dhaka and was pursuing her studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Swaraj added. 
 
WION sources say she was on vacation in Dhaka, where her father has run a garment business for the last 15-20 years. India is assisting family members travelling to Bangladesh. 
 
Sources also revealed that an Indian man, Dr Satyapal, was among the hostages rescued Saturday morning. Being fluent in Bengali, he was able to pass off as Bangladeshi and was safely released Saturday morning.&nbsp; 
 
The Bangladesh army said most of the slain civilians were either Italian or Japanese, and that many had been hacked to death with sharpened weapons. 
 
WION sources said that of the 20 victims, seven to 10 were Italian, and an unconfirmed number include Japanese and South Koreans. Of the people rescued Saturday morning, seven are Bangladeshi and one is an Indian, Dr Satyapal. 
 
In the hospital undergoing treatment are two Sri Lankans, a Japanese and an Italian.&nbsp;Of the terrorists, six have been killed and one was apprehended alive.&nbsp; 
 
About 10-12 Bangladeshi restaurant staff were rescued in the morning, and have been segregated by police for interrogation. 
 
?The Italian embassy is not releasing the identity of the Italian victims at least until their families reach Dhaka. 
 
But another Italian named&nbsp;Jacopo Bioni, a 34-year-old from Verona, managed to escape with an Argentinian chef named Diego Rossini. Rossini moved to Dhaka only in January, and was only working in the restaurant Friday because another Argentinian chef was on leave. 
 
Rossini told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that in the rush to flee he left his mobile phone and wallet in the restaurant, and went on to describe his harrowing escape: 
 
&quot;I was working in the kitchen when a group of Italian friends came. They are wholesalers in clothes, fabrics and garments. And they are usual customers of the restaurant.&nbsp;I went to speak with the Italian fellas sitting there. They asked for a special pasta, so I had to go to the kitchen. Then I heard people shouting and some shooting, and while I tried to get out of the kitchen I saw a young man with an automatic weapon who was walking towards the table where my Italian friends were sitting. So I ran away together with Diego and other colleagues to the opposte direction to the backdoor of the kitchen where there is an emergency stairs that goes to the roof on the second floor. Then they started shooting in our direction and they launched grenades. That was the moment when we decided to jump down from the second floor.&quot; 
 
They reached a nearby building to safety. 
 
India&#39;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly condemned the attack in a post on Twitter. 
 
&quot;The attack in Dhaka has pained us beyond words. I spoke to (Bangladesh) PM Sheikh Hasina and strongly condemned the despicable attack,&quot; the Prime Minister tweeted.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP and WION)

Amid all the tragedy, an Argentinian chef describes his escape from IS attackers

An Indian teenager was among 20 foreigners who were killed after being taken hostage by a group of attackers at an upmarket cafe in Bangladesh capital Dhaka, a government minister said Saturday. Tarushi Jain, 19, was caught up in the horrific 11-hour siege at the Holey Artisan Bakery, a Western-style cafe popular with foreigners located in the diplomatic quarter of the capital. "I am extremely pained to share that the terrorists have killed Tarushi, an Indian girl who was taken hostage in the terror attack in Dhaka," India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj posted on Twitter. Swaraj said she had spoken to the girl's grief-stricken father and conveyed her condolences to him. "The country is with them in this hour of grief," she tweeted. Jain had finished her schooling from the American School in Dhaka and was pursuing her studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Swaraj added. WION sources say she was on vacation in Dhaka, where her father has run a garment business for the last 15-20 years. India is assisting family members travelling to Bangladesh. Sources also revealed that an Indian man, Dr Satyapal, was among the hostages rescued Saturday morning. Being fluent in Bengali, he was able to pass off as Bangladeshi and was safely released Saturday morning. The Bangladesh army said most of the slain civilians were either Italian or Japanese, and that many had been hacked to death with sharpened weapons. WION sources said that of the 20 victims, seven to 10 were Italian, and an unconfirmed number include Japanese and South Koreans. Of the people rescued Saturday morning, seven are Bangladeshi and one is an Indian, Dr Satyapal. In the hospital undergoing treatment are two Sri Lankans, a Japanese and an Italian. Of the terrorists, six have been killed and one was apprehended alive. About 10-12 Bangladeshi restaurant staff were rescued in the morning, and have been segregated by police for interrogation. ?The Italian embassy is not releasing the identity of the Italian victims at least until their families reach Dhaka. But another Italian named Jacopo Bioni, a 34-year-old from Verona, managed to escape with an Argentinian chef named Diego Rossini. Rossini moved to Dhaka only in January, and was only working in the restaurant Friday because another Argentinian chef was on leave. Rossini told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that in the rush to flee he left his mobile phone and wallet in the restaurant, and went on to describe his harrowing escape: "I was working in the kitchen when a group of Italian friends came. They are wholesalers in clothes, fabrics and garments. And they are usual customers of the restaurant. I went to speak with the Italian fellas sitting there. They asked for a special pasta, so I had to go to the kitchen. Then I heard people shouting and some shooting, and while I tried to get out of the kitchen I saw a young man with an automatic weapon who was walking towards the table where my Italian friends were sitting. So I ran away together with Diego and other colleagues to the opposte direction to the backdoor of the kitchen where there is an emergency stairs that goes to the roof on the second floor. Then they started shooting in our direction and they launched grenades. That was the moment when we decided to jump down from the second floor." They reached a nearby building to safety. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly condemned the attack in a post on Twitter. "The attack in Dhaka has pained us beyond words. I spoke to (Bangladesh) PM Sheikh Hasina and strongly condemned the despicable attack," the Prime Minister tweeted. (AFP and WION)

Indian teenager among 20 victims in Dhaka cafe siege

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